Supporting Membership - Business

Supporting members share the Vermont Fresh Network's commitment to promoting connections between farmers, culinary professionals, and the dining public. Businesses can join at several levels.

If you are a business that might later become a VFN Partner Member, we suggest $50 or $75 levels. This is a great option for businesses that have not yet opened, individuals in a business planning stage, or businesses on track to meet our local purchasing criteria but not quite there.

$50 Supporting Membership

VFN Member pricing on all tickets to events.

VFN Member pricing on Professional Development and Networking opportunities.

Subscription to the Fresh Insider e-newsletter, which is the industry-facing complement to our popular Fresh Feed.

If you become a Partner Member within the year, up to $50 of your Supporting Member dues can be applied to the full membership fee.

$75 Supporting Membership all of the above benefits plus:

Access to view "members only" published resources, including the Business to Business Directory and Market Reports.

Early Invitation to member events, for example fishing trips, winery tours. . . events that are opened to non-members only if they fail to fill up.

Member pricing on advertisements in the Fresh Feed and Fresh Insider newsletters.

If you are a business that supports local food systems but is not within a category eligible for Partner Member status, you might consider a $200 Supporting Membership that has greater visibility in the network.

$200 Supporting Membership receives all of the $50 and $75 benefits, plus:

Your information listed as a “Supporting Business” in the business-to-business directory and relevant lists of members (for example at the Annual Meeting, in the annual report)

Listing in Annual Report as a Supporting Business Member (please note that members joining in December are listed as part of the following year's membership).

Not everyone is eligible for the $200 level benefits -- you must support local food systems in ways that do not compete with VFN Partner Member eligible businesses.

For example:

Someone trying to build a market for Nebraska maple syrup in Vermont is not eligible.

Someone selling a food product that can never be raised in Vermont is eligible, if their business is connected to supporting sustainable local food systems (seafood sourced from community fisheries off the coast of New Hampshire, for example).

A local non-food business or organization that serves our membership (glassware maker, web designer, equipment seller) is also eligible.

Supporting Members do not receive access to VFN logo usage, the logo designates businesses that have met a very specific set of criteria. Only Partner Members can vote on organization business. If you are interested in these additional benefits and believe you meet our threshold criteria, please visit the Partner Member application page.

Thank you to Flavor Plate for donating their time and effort to the design and co-development of our website.